Upon entering the Agnes Gund Garden Lobby of the Museum of Modern Art, an installation appears in view, showcasing a computer scribbling poetry. Words on the screen unfold as a cursor blinks, waiting to write more. On view through Dec. 15, Sasha Stiles’ exhibition “A LIVING POEM” presents a work generated by artificial intelligence that rewrites itself every hour.
Stiles, a Kalmyk American poet and language artist, merges human language with creative AI. She created “Technelegy” in 2021 as a collaborative experiment between humans and machines. Since then, her work has been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Digital Art and the Grand Palais Éphémère, cementing her reputation as a leader in the digital poetry space.
The exhibition centers on a large digital display of regenerating poems and a selection of philosophical texts and poetry. Neon green, pink and red cursive letters flash on the screen, reminiscent of a billboard, hooking the audience immediately. Each verse of poetry is processed through a unique AI model trained on Stiles’ own writing. The work suggests symbiosis, with a harmony where technology does not replace the artist but instead extends their voice. Supporting this connection, Stiles’ own handwriting appears intertwined with binary code, a language of zeros and ones, turning text into a personal mark and digital signal.
An accompanying installation created by Stiles’ studio partner, Kris Bones, offers an audio section. In Stiles’ voice, chilling whispers from previous iterations of the poem layer over an ambient, white noise soundscape, creating the illusion that the screen itself is a living, breathing entity. Together, these elements form a partnership between human and machine, carrying the artist’s voice while maintaining autonomy.
Beyond exploring humans’ future relationship with technology, the poem’s infinite capacity for creation and renewal questions the definition of art. It is tempting to assume that work generated by a computer or program cannot be considered art, especially as AI platforms become increasingly accessible. Yet, Stiles’ alter ego “Technelegy” blurs the boundaries between humans and AI while creating art.
The most compelling element of this installation is its refusal to remain consistent. Each visit offers a different experience for the visitor. Some poems are introspective, asking the audience to consider the never-ending possibilities of technology. Others are eerily lucid and remind people to keep breathing, as if the program itself can understand this deeply human experience. One poem read “Carry this code like a wise mirror,” creating a lingering feeling of being seen and understood. Watching a screen generate such meaningful words evokes equal parts curiosity and discomfort.
As society moves forward in the digital age, the line between scientific discovery and creative integrity becomes blurred as generative tools threaten to replace human creation. While staying true to traditional forms of inspiration seeking, “A LIVING POEM” shows how, with the right care, artificial intelligence can be an artist’s most treasured tool. Stiles’ work serves as a counterpoint to the fear-based narrative surrounding AI. Rather than treating AI as a threat to human imagination, she treats it as a mirror, a muse and a medium for creativity.
“A LIVING POEM” is on view until Dec. 15 at the MoMA and is free for NYU students.
Contact the Shae Centanni at [email protected].
